Posts Tagged ‘Spanischkurse in Montevideo’

On Thursday the 7th of March the students of La Herradura visited Punta Carretas in Montevideo. This is a relatively isolated region and is essentially a long thing strip of land and a lighthouse, which stretches out towards the sea. We were driven there by our teacher Mathias and then walked the distance of the pier, clambering over rocks, until we got to its end point. From here we were able to see the ‘Pescadores’, fishermen, who come to this particular spot due to its tranquility and isolation from the rest of the city. We took in the peacefulness and beauty of this region before clambering back across the rocks to the local bar situated right next to the pier. Once there we spent the remainder of the afternoon drinking and chatting before heading to another bar in the Pocitos area, situated right on the beach.

We were enjoying our time in the bar at Pocitos chatting amongst ourselves and Mathias in Spanish when it suddenly started to rain heavily. This sudden storm was also accompanied by very strong gusts of wind so we all took shelter in the inside part of this makeshift beach-side bar until the rain calmed down. After this we reconvened at another bar later on before heading out to enjoy the night and make the most of the extended weekend. We went to Jackson bar which is usually a bit exclusive but because we arrived in good time we were able to make it in. The decor in this bar is very impressive (see image below) and we spent the rest of our night here enjoying each other’s company.

Below you will find some photos taken of the students and teachers of La Herradura. Thank you all for attending classes here at La Herradura and we hope to see you all again soon! Saludos desde La Herradura.

Hola a todos! We at La Herradura hope you are all doing well. Although 2019 has only just arrived the year is already flying by as we approach the end of February. Nosotros en La Herradura esperamos que todos estén bien. Aunque el 2019 acaba de llegar, el año ya está volando a medida que nos acercamos a fines de febrero.

Below we have included a link to a video on our YouTube channel which shows what you can expect to see and do at La Herradura in Montevideo. Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to our Youtube channel!

The video shows some of our Spanish classes and our professionally trained teachers as well. As you will see we provide our students with a daily Cafe break between classes, complete with coffee and various Uruguayan delicacies such as Rosca, Bizcochos and Medialunas. The video also shows some of the trips and activities that we provide for our students. There are many things to do in Montevideo for every type of person. From attending local football games, to visiting the numerous museums here and attending carnival celebrations or just relaxing at the beach, you are sure to find an activity that suits your interests.

On Saturday the 16th of February to celebrate the birthday of one of the students of La Herradura we went to a typical Uruguayan BBQ, known as an ‘Asado’, organised by some Uruguayan friends of ours. Asados almost always take place on the streets or on the roof of an apartment. Asados are regularly held throughout the summer especially as Uruguay is the largest consumer of beef per capita in the world! However unlike in Europe the meat in Uruguay is naturally produced and comes almost directly from the animal to the plate. In Europe on the other hand the majority of the meat that we eat is highly processed and includes numerous artificial flavourings and additives to increase the shelf life or enhance the flavour of the meat.

There were various cuts of meat to eat, primarily coming from cows. We feasted on steak, sausages and ribs and even intestine, although the intestine was very chewy and not as flavoursome as the rest of the meat. There were around 10 people there in total and we drank beer and chatted late into the night about various different topics including a comparison of the cultural differences between Uruguay and Europe. Uruguayans are very interested to learn about you if you’re are a foreigner especially if you come from a European country. This is because Uruguay is a small country where everyone knows everyone else. Unlike other places in South America however Uruguay has thus far avoided the plague of mass tourism and therefore it is still an unusual and interesting occurrence when foreigners come to settle in Uruguay.

Surprisingly, at one point throughout the night, the Uruguayan boy who was hosting the Asado showed us some snacks he had brought back from his trip to Colombia. Unfortunately for us, these snacks, amongst other things, included a couple of packets of fried ants. Although hesitant at first I thought it would at least be worth the experience if i ate one. The only taste however that I was able to make out was of something very salty and char-grilled. It was worth the experience just to be able to say that I had eaten a fried ant however it is not something I would try a second time nor will it become a regularly snack of mine.

As is usual, the cost of the Asado was split evenly amongst the attendants which worked out at a very reasonable price for the amount of food that we ate. It was definitely an authentic Uruguayan experience for us all!

On the 7th of February the students of La Herradura attended one of the many celebrations of the Uruguayan carnival season, “las llamadas”. Carnival season in Uruguay begins in January and lasts until the start of March. The roots of the carnival can be traced to the different immigrant cultures of Uruguay, particular the Spanish and African cultures. Each carnival celebration takes place in a different barrios (neighbourhood) of Montevideo, with different barrios taking it in turns to host their celebration. El siete de febrero los estudiantes de La Herradura asistieron a una de las celebraciones de la temporada del Carnaval Uruguayo, conocido como “Las Llamadas”. La temporada de Carnaval empieza en enero y dura hasta el comienzo de marzo. Las raíces del Carnaval se pueden encontrar en las culturas de los inmigrantes españoles asi como tambien en la cultura africana. Cada celebración tiene lugar en uno de los diferentes barrios de Montevideo.

The music that accompanies the varies parades is known as Candombe music. This type of music emerged from the colonial period before the existence of Uruguay. During this time period, now recognised as carnival, the slaves of the colonial era used to march around the walls of the city wearing their shackles whilst banging drums to the rhythms of their homeland. This was the only time when they were allowed to express their culture. After Slavery ceased to exist this annual tradition took off in Uruguay and remains vital to the identity of Uruguay to this day. The Candombe drummers practice all year around however and not just during carnival season. Situated at the back of the troupe are the group of drummers commonly known as the “cuerda de tambores”, who walk in a square formation playing different rhythms. La música que acompaña los desfiles se conoce como música de Candombe. Este tipo de música surgió del período colonial antes de la existencia de Uruguay. Durante este período de tiempo, ahora reconocido como carnaval, los esclavos de la época colonial solían marchar alrededor de las murallas de la ciudad con sus grilletes mientras golpeaban los tambores al ritmo de su tierra natal. Este fue el único momento en que se les permitió expresar su cultura. Después de que la esclavitud dejó de existir, esta tradición anual despegó en Uruguay y sigue siendo vital para la identidad de Uruguay hasta el día de hoy. Sin embargo, los tambores de Candombe practican todo el año y no solo durante la temporada de carnaval. Situados en la parte posterior de la compañía, se encuentra el grupo de tambores, comúnmente conocido como la “cuerda de tambores”, que camina en una formación cuadrada tocando diferentes ritmos